What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathy is popular around the world, especially in the US and Canada, and is used for treating many diseases, including cancer. Practitioners utilize ‘vital energy fields’ to promote self-healing in the body. Naturopathic medicine cannot be refined as one particular practice, it is more of a philosophy. The Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges states it is “defined by principles rather than by methods or modalities. Above all, it honors the body’s innate wisdom to heal.”

Naturopathic doctors use many different methods. Some of these include acupuncture, botanical medicine, colonic enemas, color therapy, osteopathy, homeopathy, nutrition, counseling, reflexology and traditional Chinese medicine, although there are many more.

The word naturopathy comes from the Latin and Greek for ‘nature disease’. The term was coined by a doctor called John Scheel in 1895 who then sold rights to the word to Benedict Lust, who is known as ‘the father of US naturopathy’. Lust then popularized the term. Since the holistic health movement of the 1970s there has been renewed interest in naturopathic medicine.

There are six commonly used guidelines in naturopathy:

1. Do no harm. Always provide the most effective treatment available with the least risk to patients.
2. Identify, honor and encourage the self-healing ability of nature in every patient.
3. Discover and eliminate the causes of a disease, instead of suppressing its symptoms.
4. Teach, encourage logical hope and promote taking responsibility for one’s own health.
5. Treat the whole person, taking into account all factors and influences.
6. Focus on health to create well-being and prevent illness in the person, community and world.

The medical team at Angeles Health International in Mexico use naturopathic medicine as part of their functional oncology program. To find out more about this unique please contact us using the form to your right.